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Peloton’s $4000 Treadmills Bricked Unless Owners Pay $39/mo Fee

Tread+Imagine buying a $4,000 treadmill and then being told unless you buy an online membership program for $39 a month, the company will disable the machine, making it a very expensive doorstop.

That is exactly what Peloton, the maker of high-end exercise devices, including the recently recalled $4000 Tread+ treadmill, is doing to its customers who own this model.

The company had to come up with a fix to keep young children from turning on the machine and accidentally getting sucked under its moving belt. So, they now require entering a password on the treadmill’s screen to operate it. And the unit will also stop functioning after 45 seconds of inactivity. To start it up again, the user has to re-enter the passcode.

But there’s just one problem.

*MOUSE PRINT:

Apparently, to implement the operation of the new locking and password mechanism, a recent software update removed the “Just Run” option from users’ screens. That mode lets users operate the treadmill without the online interactive features and classes that have made the brand so popular.

So, how do users get to use the machine on their own AND have the safety features enabled? They have to buy a $39 a month membership.

Peloton membershipEmail sent to Business Insider from unhappy owner

Customers have taken to the Internet to complain that in essence Peloton is bricking their exercise equipment if they refuse to sign up for a membership.

A spokesperson for Peloton has said in published reports since the controversy erupted that it is working on updates to its software to remedy the problem. Upset users are considering suing the company if a fix is not forthcoming.

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6 thoughts on “Peloton’s $4000 Treadmills Bricked Unless Owners Pay $39/mo Fee”

  1. So, you spend $4000.00 for this machine. Then you have to spend another $39.00 for an online membership to turn on the machine, hmmm. Not good.

  2. I bought a NordicTrack 24 from someone who didnt have a Computer. She paid almost $400.00. She expired and I purchased it from the garage sale. I contacted the company $80.00 for one $120.00 for family. I am single. No senior discount. I can use it without an part of the device that allows me to monitor my activities. I believe that company should be inspected also.

    • Exactly. And some of these people are getting in their ‘steps ’ while on the treadmill.

  3. If the sidewalk is your treadmill and Mother Nature is your coach, you won’t have that problem.

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